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Jae_
Participant
February 22, 2017
Answered

Transparent Background, but White background shows after file is saved as a png.

  • February 22, 2017
  • 7 replies
  • 147206 views

Hello All,

Not sure if this question has already been posted, at any rate I created a  logo on Illustrator then opened the file on Photoshop. The file opened with a Transparent layer, after I saved the image as a PNG. it opened with a white background... The interesting thing is, at least to me ( lol ) there isn't a background layer on the Photoshop for me to remove. There's just Layer 1 with my file showing a transparent background.

Any ideas of what I'm doing wrong? I've done this before with a few design concepts and I didn't have this issue...

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Eternal Warrior

In addition... why are you using PNG when going from Illustrator to Photoshop... Just Import the Native Illustrator file into Photoshop and SKIP this unnecessary step.

I would only use PNG as a final output of work I had actually created myself.

Also what import settings are you using when you open the PNG in Photoshop? Are you making sure Photoshop doesn't fill the background?

7 replies

Willi Adelberger
Community Expert
Community Expert
July 14, 2022

If you exchange files between Illustrator and Photoshop do the conversion in Illustrator:

  1. Illustrator can export to Photoshop with layers. If you need Illustrator content in Photoshop, export here.
  2. If want to get Photoshop content in Illustrator, open the PSD file in Illustrator. You can choose Layer Compositions saved in Photoshop.

 

Avoid PNG here. PNG has only Alpha Transparency, does not support Live Text nor vectors. PNG can also only support RGB, never CMYK, no clipping paths are supported.

PNG is only an output type for web purposes and MS Offices, never for print, never for exchange between Adobe Applications.

sfsfsssdsx
Participant
March 2, 2020

I had the same issue and realized that my PNG layer in photoshop was titled Index.  I'm not savvy enough to know what that entails.  But I know how to change it and that fixed it for me.

  1. Open the PNG image in photoshop.
  2. Click on Image --> mode --> and select something besides index.
     
  3. Resave the png.
  4. Now drag into illustrator and the transparent background should be transparent.

 

This is what worked for me.

May 31, 2020

How do I change that

 

jane-e
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 31, 2020

Hi David,

By "that", do you mean "how do you change the mode from Index to a different mode"? If so, see step 2 in the comment you replied to:

"Click on Image --> mode --> and select something besides index."

If you mean something else, please clarify.

~ Jane

Participant
March 13, 2017

You have to go into the artboard properties and change it to transparent now. It didn't used to be like this, but now it is.

Participant
March 8, 2021

You are an angel, sent from the heavens. Bless you.

Eternal Warrior
Eternal WarriorCorrect answer
Inspiring
February 23, 2017

In addition... why are you using PNG when going from Illustrator to Photoshop... Just Import the Native Illustrator file into Photoshop and SKIP this unnecessary step.

I would only use PNG as a final output of work I had actually created myself.

Also what import settings are you using when you open the PNG in Photoshop? Are you making sure Photoshop doesn't fill the background?

Jae_
Jae_Author
Participant
February 28, 2017

Thank you, so much for your response, Eternal Warrior I was so frustrated I decided to take some time away from my laptop... lol

At any rate you're correct that's exactly what I have been doing, opening the native illustrator file in photoshop and then saving the image from Photoshop as a PNG.

Here's where I think is gets weird, when I view the file in photoshop there appears to be no background, I see the "transparent background" i.e the grey little squares. I save the image as normal, I don't see an option to remove a background because there isn't one. Next I open the saved file and I see and white background around my image...

I'll try it again, and this time I'll send screen shots, if it happens again.

Jae_
Jae_Author
Participant
February 28, 2017

Well it appears I am no longer having the problem with the white background after the image is saved on photoshop, there was definitely some kind of oversight on my part. Thanks again for everyones help I really appreciate it.

-Cheers

Eternal Warrior
Inspiring
February 23, 2017

How do you know that the transparency is gone? What are you viewing the PNG in? Unless you are viewing the PNG on the background of something other than White (either by placing the PNG onto another photo or in another programme) You will either see a white or black background around the subject matter.

If I view PNG's in Windows 10 using Photo's I get a black background around the PNG... Similarly, I would get a white background When I had Windows 8 and used Photo Gallery.

The same applies to Apple or even Linux.

If when you open the file in Photoshop it shows an alpha transparent layer still then the PNG is likely still transparent.

Assuming, of course, that you enabled transparency when saving as a PNG:

Stephen Marsh
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 23, 2017

Don't use save/save as - use save for web or export instead where you have control of transparency.

You could look into exporting directly out of Illustrator to PNG.

Participant
July 29, 2024

Instead of save as i used export as png and it worked. Thank you.

Peru Bob
Community Expert
Community Expert
February 23, 2017

Opening in what program?